When: 13 February 2025, 09.00-17.30
Where: Albert Borschette Congress Center, Rue Froissart 36, Brussels
On 1 August 2024 the Commission launched a consultation of interested parties to comment on draft Guidelines on exclusionary abuses of dominance. The draft Guidelines aim at reflecting the EU courts’ case law on exclusionary abuses and the Commission’s enforcement practice developed in line with it.
The objectives of the initiative are (1) to provide more clarity to stakeholders on how to apply Article 102 TFEU; (2) to facilitate self-assessment and increase predictability; and (3) to promote a workable effects-based approach to the enforcement of Article 102 TFEU.
In this context, DG Competition is organizing an interactive stakeholder workshop to gather views on different key aspects of the draft Guidelines and discuss the practical implications of their application. Participants will be divided into groups to discuss various topics in eight breakout sessions. The results will be presented and discussed in two plenary sessions.
8.30-9.00 Registration and Coffee
9.00-9.30 Introduction by the European Commission
9.30-11.00 Parallel breakout sessions:
Single and collective dominance;
Capability to produce exclusionary effects: evidentiary burden and substantive legal standard;
Departure from competition on the merits: notion and practical application;
Objective necessity and efficiencies
11.00-11.30 Coffee break
11.30-13.00 Plenary session: Debriefing from morning breakout sessions and discussion
13.00-14.00 Lunch break
14.00-15.30 Parallel breakout sessions:
Predatory pricing and margin squeeze;
Exclusive dealing and conditional rebates;
Tying and self-preferencing;
Refusal to supply and access restrictions
15.30-16.00 Coffee break
16.00-17.30 Plenary session: Debriefing from afternoon breakout sessions and discussion
17.30 Workshop ends
Please indicate as you register which morning and afternoon breakout sessions you plan to attend (first and second choice, in order of preference). Registration closes on 15 January 2025 @ 18:00 CET.
DG Competition seeks to ensure a wide and diverse participation among stakeholders with practical experience in the application of Article 102 TFEU. If the number of applications exceeds the places available, DG Competition will process applications with a view to ensure a balanced representation of all stakeholder categories, also taking into account the date of application. In principle, no more than one participant per organisation will be admitted. DG Competition plans to inform admitted participants via email by 21 January 2025.